Like fine wine, Passat’s crisp & bold

If you still associate Volkswagen with Boone’s Farm, it’s time to update your cultural references.

A nice, dry Riesling would be a better reference point.

No longer the flower-power icon of your lost youth, VW has evolved into the maker of innovative, elegant and spirited automobiles.

Presented as evidence: the all-new, 2007 Passat.

A stem-to-stern makeover gives the Passat a larger and more upscale cabin, more power and a higher level of built-in safety. A facelift reflects the more softly rounded look introduced with the current Jetta.

Upscale touches, such as an electronic parking brake and a keyless ignition system, which are standard on all Passats, add a whiff of exclusivity and reflect the Passat’s relationship with the Phaeton, its super-upscale sibling.

With prices ranging from around $24,000 for a front-drive, four-cylinder sedan to $33,000 for a six-cylinder wagon with all-wheel drive, the Passat covers a broad competitive range. On the low end, it competes against the mainstream family sedans from Japan; on the high end, it goes up most directly against Volvo.

Whichever end of the spectrum one considers, the Passat offers something none of its competitors can match — an authentic German ride and handling package. It may be all-new from the platform up, but the Passat is still a driver’s car, with the athleticism and eagerness to perform that surpass more mainstream offerings.

Its revised suspension combines an aluminum front-end assembly and four-link independent rear setup to produce a controlled and comfortable ride; its electro-mechanical rack-and-pinion steering system is quick, accurate and nicely weighted; and both of its engines — a turbocharged 2.0-liter four and a 3.6-liter V-6 — are quick to respond to the driver’s promptings.

Four-cylinder sedans get a six-speed manual transmission, with a six-speed Tiptronic automatic from Porsche optional. The Tip is standard equipment on six-cylinder models and is the only gearbox available on wagons.

Although its wheelbase has grown by only one-third of an inch, the Passat is 3 inches longer and wider than before and rear-seat legroom has jumped 2.4 inches. New production techniques have increased body rigidity by 57 percent, with the expected improvements in safety and ride quality.

And, with its Phaeton-influenced interior, the Passat is more than ever an agreeable alternative to more expensive European cars.

Buy a wagon equipped with all-wheel drive and you’ll enjoy many of the benefits of a small SUV, without the accompanying fuel consumption penalty. Our AWD wagon tester was equipped with the six and delivered EPA ratings of 18 city/26 highway.

At 280 horsepower, the six is plenty strong, but I’m a big fan of the 200-hp, 2.0-liter four. It offers 10 hp more than last year’s V-6 and 30 more than the outgoing four. It has a torque band that won’t quit and is a ton of fun to drive when paired with the manual.

In that configuration, the Passat earns it EPA numbers of 25/32.

All-wheel drive is available only on six-cylinder Passats; front-wheel drive is standard.

Innovations abound. On six-cylinder models, VW’s new direct-injection fuel delivery system sprays fuel directly into the cylinder rather than into an exterior pre-combustion chamber. The result is more power and greater fuel efficiency, says Volkswagen.

An advanced, automatic, laser-welding process increases body strength and rigidity and the use of lightweight, high-strength materials helps reduce weight and increase passenger safety.

All Passats are equipped with a full complement of safety gear including curtain-style airbags, vehicle stability control, traction control and electronic differential locking. An engine brake-assist function supports the standard anti-lock brake system. Available rear-seat thorax airbags supplement the standard side-curtain bags.

The steering system uses sensors to read steering-wheel angle, rate of change and vehicle speed and adjusts boost to suit conditions. The system is smart enough to help drivers steer straight on a dramatically cambered road or in strong side-winds.

Front seating positions are roomy and luxurious and the seats are comfortable and supportive. A number of nooks and crannies for storage are scattered helpfully throughout the cabin and, mercifully, the cupholders have been moved to the center console from their former location just above the audio controls.

For the most part, the controls are well placed, although some of them lack the precision expected in an up-level car.

In addition to their newfound legroom, rear-seat passengers enjoy nicely contoured and supportive seats, easy ingress and egress and adjustable heating and cooling vents. All three rear-seat positions get headrests and seatbelt height is adjustable on the outboard positions.

In the end, the Passat is to the original Beetle as a Koehler-Ruprecht Riesling is to a tumbler of Strawberry Hill. It possesses balance and finesse. It’s crisp and a bit bold and, as the first iteration of a sixth-generation car, it lays the groundwork for future vintages.

Think Boone’s Farm if you must, and just consider it another example of the world having passed you by.